On Dragon's Wings 4: Proper Behavior
by Higuchimon
Summary: [au: dragons] Mizael's evening rest is interrupted by two strangers who think they've seen a dragon. Really. A dragon. How silly.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal  
 **Title:** Proper Behavior: Chapter 1  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Alit,  & Leonius  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 1,579||story: 1,579  
 **Genre:** Friendship|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing, section I10, multichap with exactly 8 chapters; One Character Boot Camp, #23, stereotyped  
 **Notes:** This takes place in the same world as **Ring The Dinner Bell** , **Face of Death** , and **Diamond of the North** , and occurs after Mizael left Vector's kingdom.  
 **Summary:** Mizael's evening rest is interrupted by two strangers who think they've seen a dragon. Really. A dragon. How silly.

* * *

Mizael drew in a deep breath of air and lifted his head, looking around. As always when he rested in unfamiliar territory, he made certain to situate himself so that the wind brought him word of what might be in the area. He made certain doubly so to do this when he came down to rest in a place so close to human lands as this valley.

He'd been caught once before. He would not let that happen again. More parts of him than he cared to think about still ached because of that.

But he did not find the scent of armor and weapons in the air tonight. Only humans, which was odd enough on its own. Not many wandered the night without being armed, and those often were more dangerous in their own way than soldiers. Sorcerers and priests were not currently high on his favorite list of humans in general.

He swerved his ears toward the sound and listened. Perhaps if they spoke, he'd learn enough to decide what he should do.

"I am telling you, for the third time, Leo, that I _saw_ it!" Tones of wonder and awe filled this voice and Mizael did not deny a bit of curious pride. What else but a dragon could cause a human to sound like that?

"I believe you saw something." This second voice was more cautious, and as near as Mizael judged matters, of higher rank than the first. The way that he spoke indicated some amount of education and that in general tended to be a mark of those of rank and importance.

Which made the question of why they would be here without guards of some sort even more fascinating, especially if the one who wasn't 'Leo' actually had seen Mizael. The tip of Mizael's tail twitched with curiosity. He hadn't caught any scents of magic as of yet, but perhaps they just weren't close enough, or they had some way to conceal it.

"I saw a dragon," the first voice insisted. "And it was coming down this way. I'm almost sure of it."

Mizael's tail lashed. Until now he'd imagined it as something of an amusement, a game, nothing more. He hadn't believed he'd really been seen, and he _hated_ being seen when he didn't want to be. It always led to things like this.

 _If they want to try 'virgin sacrifices' again, I'm stopping that right away._ He'd dealt with that once before and he still hadn't made up his mind what he felt about Vector. What he did know was that he didn't want to go through any of that again, no matter what.

"So, what are you going to do if you're right?" Leo wanted to know, rather sensibly in Mizael's opinion.

"We're going to ask what it's doing here," the other replied, but with far more glee in his tones than anyone had a right to feel when considering facing a dragon. "Dragons always want something, don't they?"

 _Yes, and right now I want a good meal and a good sleep before I get going again, and I doubt you'll provide me with any of that._

Mizael made his decision on what he would do. It wouldn't help matters at all for these strangers to find a genuine dragon here. But if they didn't find something, they'd likely lurk around until morning and it was too late for him to try to find another place to bed down for the night. He hadn't wanted to let Vector know, but it would take more than the time he'd had before leaving that kingdom to recover his full strength. The less he had to push himself, the better.

But what he chose to do now he could do easily enough, and he concentrated, a whip of energy and light weaving over him.

"Hey, did you see something?" That was the other's voice, the one that was not Leo. Mizael kept his focus bent on what he was doing, and in moments where the great golden dragon had been, there now stood a fully human warrior.

Or at least one who looked human. Mizael never forgot that he was a dragon, no matter what shape he'd changed his flesh into. Passing as human would allow him to learn what motives these two had for entering the area and if they were dangerous to him as a dragon or not. If they were, he already had plans for how to deal with them.

Just because he didn't like to eat human flesh didn't mean that he couldn't do it. He _was_ a dragon.

It only took another few moments for him to start gathering rocks and set them in a circle, as humans did when they wished to rest beside a fire for the night. Then he stared at the circle of stones, without any fuel whatsoever, and no way other than his own breath to light the fire. As a way to conceal his identity, this wasn't working very well.

"Hey!"

He turned at the sound of the voice, and saw what could only be those two coming closer. Even with wearing a human guise, he could see as well as a dragon in the evening shadows. Both of the humans here were dark-skinned, though one was slightly more so than the other, as if he'd spent more time in the sun. He was the one who spoke up again.

"This is probably a strange question, Sir Knight, but have you seen a dragon in the area?" He scratched the back of his head and grinned. "I thought I saw one earlier around here, but we can't find him."

Mizael drew himself up to his full height, finding that he was taller than both of them, and using it to his advantage. "I've seen no dragon here." And he hadn't. While he was a dragon, he hadn't seen himself, for there weren't any mirrors nor any pools to reflect his image back at him.

Leo nudged the other carefully. "Do I need to say it, Alit?" He sounded far more amused than anything else.

Alit shrugged. "Maybe I did make a mistake. But it could be hiding somewhere up there, couldn't it?" He gestured to the mountains that rose up behind them, mountains Mizael hadn't wanted to enter since they promised to be very bare of game. "Or maybe it turned itself into something. I heard they could do that."

"Is that so?" Mizael refused to betray himself by so much as a flick of an eyebrow. "What do you think such a disguise would be?" The more he could learn about what they thought he could do, then the easier it would be to slide their attention away from what he really did.

Alit shrugged. "It's hard to say. They can be just about anything from the stories that I've heard." He gave Mizael a long look. "Even humans."

Mizael looked right back at him. "If I were a dragon, why would I want to be a human?" And he did not. Disguise was one thing, but to actually be one and never be able to taste the skies again? There could be no worse fate for one of his blood.

"You got me!" Alit laughed this time, then stopped, looking at the bare circle of stones. "I think you forgot your firewood."

Mizael let his lips quirk. "I wasn't expecting company around here. It distracted me." Dragons could lie, but Mizael's pride prevented him from doing so unless there was no other choice. That same pride also teased him to speak the truth but in such a way that those who heard him did not realize what he actually meant.

"You want to come back to the city with us?" Alit asked, shooting a quick look at his companion. "It would be all right, would it, Leo?"

Mizael took a long look at Leo this time and breathed in a quick breath of the air around him without making it obvious. _I was right. He's not a common human._ Leo carried the fragrance of rich soap and perfumes used regularly. Alit, on the other hand, only smelled of light sweat and soap, but a different, harsher kind than the one Leo used.

Leo's garments were also different, of a richer fabric, and while he was well-muscled, Alit was clearly more of a warrior's bent. A nobleman and bodyguard? Perhaps, but Mizael wasn't ready to commit to the notion just yet. Regardless, he wanted to fly this carefully.

"I don't see why not," Leo replied, unaware of the quick path Mizael's thoughts took. "But what do you think of it, good sir?"

Mizael shook his head at once. "It's not a good idea." He knew something of how humans thought and it wasn't difficult to find a proper answer. "I have nothing with which I could pay you." He would not part with anything from his hoard to humans.

But Alit laughed. "You don't need to pay Leo for this. It's just a little visit. I doubt anyone in the palace would even notice you're there."

Palace? Mizael found himself intrigued. Perhaps he'd at least listen to them a little more. Palaces held treasure and while he was no thief, he _was_ a dragon. If any of that treasure was his and he just hadn't run across it yet…

"All right." This could be more interesting than he'd first thought.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal  
 **Title:** Proper Behavior  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Alit,  & Leonius  
 **Word Count:** chapter 2: 1,597||story: 3,000  
 **Genre:** Friendship|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing, section I10, multichap with exactly 8 chapters; One Character Boot Camp, #23, stereotyped  
 **Notes:** This takes place in the same world as **Ring The Dinner Bell** , **Face of Death** , and **Diamond of the North** , and occurs after Mizael left Vector's kingdom.  
 **Summary:** Mizael's evening rest is interrupted by two strangers who think they've seen a dragon. Really. A dragon. How silly.

* * *

Leonius didn't want to say what he was thinking to Alit. Alit had a habit of simply punching anything that got in his way and not thinking too much about the consequences of it. In the arena that made no difference at all, since what got in his way was his opponent, and punching the opponent until the opponent fell down and stayed that way was just what Alit _did_.

But out here, with a strange knight who somehow gave off the impression that he didn't fit inside of his own skin? The Emperor chose to watch his words and their new companion both.

Alit, on the other hand, chattered merrily to this Mizael, as if the two of them had known each other their entire lives. Suspicion just wasn't in his nature, as Leonius knew quite well.

Which was why it was in _his_ nature. There were few people that he trusted completely, which simply came with being the leader of a large nation. Alit was one of those few and while he did trust Alit's instincts, he trusted his own eyes as well.

 _What did Alit see out here?_ He didn't doubt it had been something, and Alit had guided them right here to where this knight had been setting up a camp. A strange camp, with nothing more than a circle of stones presumably for a fire. No shelter of any kind and nothing around that could be used for one. The closest caves were too far away to think of sleeping in and none of the bushes or trees were large enough to rest underneath.

Leonius wasn't ready to accuse the stranger of lying, and even if he had been, what had he lied about? Where he planned to rest that night? His name? Those things were hardly crimes for which one should be punished. There were plenty of plausible reasons for him not to speak of the truth to two people who had come out of all but nowhere.

 _I think we can spare a night's lodging for him, and a meal or two._ This Mizael didn't look especially well fed, though he wasn't on the verge of starvation, either. Simply leaner and perhaps hungrier than the average wandering knight.

Leonius cast an eye over to where the stranger walked, Alit chatting him merrily. Mizael kept at least part of his attention on the gladiator, though he didn't look completely absorbed in everything Alit had to say. He glanced at Leonius now and then, as well as keeping an eye on the trail in front of them as they made their way back to the city.

"You said that we're going to the palace?" Mizael asked at last, breaking through Alit's conversation. "Why there?"

Alit grinned widely, arms resting behind his head, eyes dancing with glee. "Where else would the Emperor live?"

Leonius let out a long, deep breath. He didn't get so many chances to get away from his role, and they could've come up with some other reason to be going there. But if he were to be absolutely fair about it, lying wasn't Alit's strong point, much less holding back the truth.

Mizael gave them both a measuring look. "Emperor?" He sounded almost as if he tasted the word and wasn't certain if it agreed with him or not. Alit, however, nodded.

"This guy here is Leonius, Emperor of Spartan City and all the land around for … a really long way." Alit shrugged. "I never was good at measuring how big a kingdom was."

Mizael gave Leonius another long and careful look. "I've met a ruler before." Leonius had the impression now that he chose his words with utmost care.

"Oh? Who?" Leonius had more or less good relations going with most of the rulers of the local kingdoms, and decent enough ones with ones farther away. If he knew who this young knight knew, then perhaps he could make delicate inquiries as to his trustworthiness and character.

The knight didn't answer right away, still very clearly considering how to answer. "Vector," he said at last. "You may not know of him. His land is several days f- travel from here."

Leonius caught the slight stumbling over the word and from the way Alit looked at him, he had as well. "The name is a little familiar," the Emperor said at last. "But I don't think I've met him personally."

He was almost certain he had heard it before, but he couldn't put a mental finger on just where. It didn't bring up any feelings of fear or wariness, so he put it to the back of his mind for the moment.

The city gates stood before them, guards on each side at the ready. As soon as they caught sight of Alit and the Emperor, both drew themselves up in perfect stance.

"Majesty!" Both saluted at once. "We weren't aware you'd left the city." The one to the left spoke. "Our apologies for our negligence!"

Leonius waved one hand, a hint of amusement rippling through his voice when he answered. "I didn't make a production out of it." In point of fact, he and Alit had slipped out through one of the lesser known entrances and not told anyone they were leaving. It had all been Alit's idea, and Leonius agreed only because he knew the two of them together were as safe, if not safer, than if they had a troupe of guards with them. Anyone who could get through Alit's defense of him would likely not get through his own defense of himself.

Getting from the edge of the city to the palace itself didn't take a great deal of time. He knew all the best shortcuts to take, thanks to having roamed around with Alit a few times. His favorite gladiator spent most of his spare time wandering around in the city, talking to people and getting to know them, doing the things that Leonius himself couldn't do.

Soon enough they'd entered the palace grounds, with the guards there not even batting an eye at his return. So long as Alit was by his side, they all knew that their Emperor remained safe. Which was part of why Leonius made certain neither he nor Alit came to any harm. He didn't want them blaming Alit for any accidental harm that might turn up. Purposeful harm was different, and probably something that they both agreed to thanks to their endless sparring matches.

Mizael's gaze darted this way and that as they made their way through the corridors. Leonius couldn't watch him as much as he wanted, but he trusted Alit to tell him anything out of the ordinary once they were alone together.

"You can stay here," the Emperor said, stopping outside one door. There were always quarters set up for guests, and these were set aside for those of a certain rank, above merchant or peasant, but not with a noble's title. Suitable for a wandering knight, who probably wasn't much more than a younger son of someone with a low-ranking title, if that much. "I'll have someone come by with dinner. Are there any special requirements?" There were some knightly orders that did not permit the eating of meat or certain other restraints. Leonius found it always best to ask.

One of Mizael's eyebrows lifted up for a heartbeat. "As much meat as you can manage. I have a taste for it. Cooked as rare as possible."

 _Well, I don't think I've heard of an order with_ _ **that**_ _as a requirement._ Leonius only nodded; while such a thing was unusual, it still wasn't entirely unheard of. He detoured a passing servant to send the request down to the kitchens, then bid the knight good evening and headed on with Alit to his own personal quarters.

Neither of them said anything until the door closed behind them. Alit broke the silence.

"He's strange." Some of his cheerfulness slid away, replaced by a deep seriousness that few aside from Leonius ever saw. "I'm pretty sure he's not lying to us, but something's off anyway."

"I had the same feeling," Leonius agreed, moving over to strip off his cloak and settle onto the nearest couch. "Not lying, but not completely honest, either."

Alit stretched, tossing his cloak away and curling up within his Emperor's arms. "So he's keeping things from us."

"It could be with good reason," Leonius pointed out. "He could be under a curse of some kind, or a geas." He could easily think of a dozen different ones that would answer Mizael's unusual behavior. "I don't think he's an evil person, though."

"Neither do I," Alit agreed without hesitation. "He could also just be very careful." He wriggled his way closer to Leonius in a very delightful way. "Should we send a message to that guy he mentioned? See if we can find out anything else about him?"

With the way Alit was moving against him, it took a few moments for Leonius to put together a good answer for that. "I'll see if anyone around here knows anything of that kingdom and what they can tell us first." He reached up one hand to brush at Alit's muscled shoulders. "He may not even stay long enough for it to become something to concern ourselves with."

"You could be right." Alit trailed his fingers down Leonius's leg. "I can think of some other things I'd like to concern myself with right now anyway."

As always, the emperor remained at his favorite gladiator's command.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal  
 **Title:** Proper Behavior: Chapter 3  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Alit,  & Leonius  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 1,567||story: 4,743  
 **Genre:** Friendship|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing, section I10, multichap with exactly 8 chapters; One Character Boot Camp, #23, stereotyped  
 **Notes:** This takes place in the same world as **Ring The Dinner Bell** , **Face of Death** , & **Diamond of the North** , and occurs after Mizael left Vector's kingdom.  
 **Summary:** Mizael's evening rest is interrupted by two strangers who think they've seen a dragon. Really. A dragon. How silly.

* * *

Mizael didn't leave so much as a scrap of meat on his plate. There hadn't been enough of it to fill his stomach as a dragon, and even for his smaller human stomach, there hadn't been quite enough. Still, not quite enough was better than none at all, and that was what he'd been working with before this.

As soon as the servant took the plate away – with murmured astonishment that he'd eaten everything but the plate itself – Mizael considered the rest of his options. He'd come here for one reason and that wasn't dinner. The food was merely a delicious extra.

Now he rose and moved toward the door, every movement of his as silent as could be. Already he knew that despite the pleasant state of this room, there wasn't anything here that he actually wanted to add to his hoard. He could see one or two things that some friends of his might've wanted, but they could come and get it for themselves.

But the longer that he stayed here, the more he began to feel the pull of something that was _his_ , somewhere in this castle. From the way that it felt, he thought it was only one thing, something small, and whatever it was, he _wanted_ it.

So, with great caution, he left his room and started to explore, always making certain that no one else was in a corridor or room before he entered it. The later it grew, the less chances that anyone would believe him if he said he was just taking an evening stroll, and only a small number of people even knew that he was here. Granted, one of those was the Emperor himself, but he could find himself thrown out without recourse to him anyway.

His treasure sense guided him into the deeper regions of the castle, past items of wealth and value that human thieves would've lusted over. Mizael disdained them all. He was not a thief. He was a _dragon_. Dragons did not steal.

The farther he traveled, the more guards began to turn up, which led him to believe he was headed for some sort of important treasury. That made it all the better. The more worth of what he wanted for his hoard, the more he would enjoy this.

Slipping by the guards wasn't that difficult, either. While his shapechanging abilities only allowed him the form of a dragon or the form of a human, he had other talents he could call on, such as heightened senses and a few minor spells.

 _This must be it._ Two guards stood on either side of a triple-locked door. Mizael remained in the shadows, watching, thinking of how to get by them. _Perhaps there's another way in._ He had no quarrel with the guards. They were only doing their duty to their Emperor. If he could take what he wanted and be gone without them being aware of it, so much the better.

He moved on by without them seeing him. That was due more to being a hunter than anything else. He took his prey from the skies more than anything else, but there had been times when the only way he could get his food was to shapechange.

He wanted to find whatever this treasure was and get on out of there. He'd never found something of his that humans who'd been _kind_ to him wanted to keep. The longer he let it stew in his thoughts, the more he didn't want Alit or the Emperor to know that he'd taken it in the first place. These thoughts were not ones a dragon had often, if at all.

 _They should understand. They would understand, if they knew I was a dragon._ It didn't completely make him feel better about it, but it helped, a little.

Finally, he found what he thought would help: a small door where the air scented of cleaning materials, with hints of treasure behind it, and not very much of humans, and not of magic at all. He pressed the door open, taking every motion with the greatest of care, and it slid open, revealing a dark corridor behind it. Following that led to another door, and on the other side of that…

Mizael was a dragon. He knew treasure and he knew the value of it. The hoard he saw here would've satisfied many a dragon and quite a few thieves as well. He looked around harder, the scent of the one treasure here that was _his_ calling to him. None of the rest of it mattered to him at all.

Defensive magic glittered all around him, meant to protect the treasures here from casual thieves. Mizael passed through the spells easily enough, since he hadn't yet taken anything here. He would be ready to take off the moment that his hands touched what called to him, though.

Expensive carpets, gloriously woven tapestries, chests full to the brim of coins of every precious metal ever used to mint coinage, gemstones both cut and uncut, all of it shimmered from every corner of the room. Mizael ignored most of it, still searching for that one little piece that sang the song of his soul.

No guards stood around here; likely enough because of the magic itself. Anyone who did manage to get in here would have to deal with the consequences of that, and very few of them would be dragons. Mizael counted on that to give him what he needed to get out of there.

Suddenly his feet rooted to the ground. For a moment Mizael wondered if this were some kind of enchanted trap and fear wound itself all around him. Then his eye fell on something else altogether, and he breathed out in relief.

There in a small alcove rested a finely made porcelain vase, all but see-through in its fineness, painted with images of the sea. Mizael brushed the tips of his fingers across it and smiled in triumph. _Mine._ The vase sang back to him; it was his, and it knew it as well as he did.

Slowly he brushed the tips of his fingers against it, before leaning forward to touch the side of his face to it. That didn't feel the same as it did when he was in his true form, of course. But the touch reassured him in every way that this was his and therefore he had every right to take it. Humans should not keep something that was a dragon's. Even if he somewhat liked the humans.

He picked the vase up and held it close. Getting it out would be a trifle difficult, but he didn't have any doubts that he could do it.

He'd taken only another step away before some of the gemstones imbedded into the walls began to flash with a rich scarlet warning and he found that he couldn't move at all. Mizael's eyes flashed with rage and he strained with all of his might. Too many memories of the long hours he'd spent entrapped in his human form, unable to do anything to either help himself or Vector, swept back into his mind.

If he could transform, then he could get out of there. There would be damage, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. He focused his mind as sharply as the edge of a well-forged blade, ready to resume his true form.

Nothing happened.

Fear choked around his neck, deeper and stronger, and he tried again.

And still nothing at all happened. He could not change. He could not move.

Noises came from outside of the treasure room, two of them familiar and the rest not. Mizael strained even harder. For all that he'd known them almost no time at all, trying to explain all of this to them would be difficult enough without being first treated as a thief. Surely they'd understand if he told them what he was, once he had his treasure safely tucked away. _Vector_ had understood.

The large guarded door to the treasury swung open. A small contingent of guards entered, swords at the ready, with Alit and the Emperor only a step or two behind them. Mizael could hear them more than he could see them, but it didn't take long at all for the group to arrive at where he stood, imprisoned in beams of light, unable to escape or to defend himself in any way. It was, he thought, a good trap for a common thief. Perhaps even good enough for a dragon.

The Emperor and Alit both stared when they stepped up enough to see him. Hurt flickered in Alit's bright eyes.

"Mizael?" The word seemed to pain him to speak. "What are you doing?"

The guard at the head of the squad raised his sword. "I would think it's obvious. He's a thief."

Leonius's gaze was much calmer than Alit's as he looked the shapechanged dragon up and down. "Take that away from him and put him in the dungeon for now. Make certain to keep the spells on him so he can't escape. He'll have a trial tomorrow."

If Mizael had been able to move, he would've howled his fury to the skies, following it in a heartbeat. Unable to change, trapped, he wanted nothing more than to get out of there!

And yet he could do nothing at all.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal  
 **Title:** Proper Behavior  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Alit,  & Leonius  
 **Word Count:** chapter 4: 1,628||story: 6,371  
 **Genre:** Friendship|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing, section I10, multichap with exactly 8 chapters; One Character Boot Camp, #23, stereotyped  
 **Notes:** This takes place in the same world as **Ring The Dinner Bell** , **Face of Death** , and **Diamond of the North** , and occurs after Mizael left Vector's kingdom.  
 **Summary:** Mizael's evening rest is interrupted by two strangers who think they've seen a dragon. Really. A dragon. How silly.

* * *

Neither Alit nor Leonius got another wink of sleep that night. When they weren't talking about what Mizael did, one or both of them thought about it. Talking or thinking, neither of them could make heads or tails of it.

"It wasn't even that valuable," Alit pointed out for what could have been the third time. "Why would a thief good enough to get into the vault take something that wasn't really worth that much?"

Leonius shook his head, much as he had the previous times Alit brought up that point. Alit was right; that actually was the problem. So much else there was so much more valuable. Why ignore easily spendable coins or priceless gemstones? There was more going on here than met the eye.

"We'll give him the chance to tell us at his trial," the Emperor decided. There was little enough to decide; the law was the law. Even when someone had been caught as cleanly as Mizael had been, the law still gave them a chance to speak to their own defense.

But the Emperor could not at all guess at what defense this strange knight might give. Enchantment of some kind? There was a sense of magic about him, or so some of the spells that had been set in the vault revealed. Those spells were set to reveal as much as possible about any intruders, so that the guards and sorcerers knew how to keep a captured thief from fleeing. So far it seemed that the stasis spell would do that very well indeed.

 _He looked furious._ Leonius hadn't forgotten the look when they'd first seen Mizael there. Shocked and _angry_ , but not at being caught. At least he didn't think so; the spells didn't allow for the reading of minds, but the expression spoke of something else altogether.

There would be questions, the Emperor determined, and there would be answers to the questions. Mizael would not be allowed to leave until he'd spoken the truth about what he'd done and why. They'd been _kind_ to him and this was what happened because of it? It made no sense at all.

It would have to later. For having known him only a few short hours, Leonius didn't want to execute him for theft from the royal vault.

* * *

Leonius could and usually did arrange the order of his day to suit himself. Most of the time he enjoyed a pleasant hour or two sparring with Alit before they had breakfast, then he dealt with anything truly important to the running of his realm. Trials were something he tended to hold off until the afternoon. They didn't have many that he had to personally preside over, but he made certain this one was one of those.

Mizael was brought into the courtroom, and if Leonius hadn't guessed otherwise, he would've thought _he_ was the ruler here. The spells that kept him mute and frozen no longer applied to him; by law they were removed just before he entered the courtroom. But his head remained held high and he gave no more attention to the two guards that bracketed him than he would have if they weren't there at all.

The head of the vault guards stepped forward. "Majesty, this person was caught by the spells on your royal vaults in an attempt to steal a valuable vase from within." He gestured to where the vase rested now, held as evidence by a servant. "There is no doubt of his guilt, as he was caught in the very act."

Leonius looked from the vase to Mizael. _Valuable, not even priceless._ It still made no sense at all to him. But he turned his attention to the prisoner instead.

"What have you to say for yourself?" He restrained from asking the other questions he wished: that they'd offered him shelter and food and this was how Mizael chose to repay them? He didn't think he was such a horrible judge of people. Mizael had secrets; that was obvious. But ones that could justify this?

Mizael shrugged. A simple movement of his shoulders and no more. "It belongs to me."

Both guards around him and the chief vault guard stared at him. One of the closer guards breathed out a few words that likely would've given his parents cause to punish him. Alit, however, wasn't so held back.

"That's your excuse? It's not even a good one! That was sent to Leonius in honor of his coronation!" Alit's hands tightened into fists as he glared at the blond. "It came directly here from the oceans of the North! How could it be yours?"

Mizael quirked up an eyebrow curiously. "The oceans of the North. I presume you mean King Nasch?"

Alit and Leonius both froze at that. There were few people in this part of the world who knew anything of the northern realms, lands of oceans and ice and magical creatures that abounded in great numbers.

"That is not relevant," Leonius said after a moment. "Why would you claim that this is yours?" That was what mattered.

But Mizael smiled, and the Emperor wondered how that many teeth could fit into a human's mouth. It didn't seem at all possible.

"It is relevant. I'm acquainted with King Nasch and his sister. They could confirm to you what I could tell you: that vase _is_ mine, though I never saw it before last night."

Alit shook his head. "Could you make some sense?"

Mizael glanced from one side of the room to the other, then back to the Emperor. "It would be easier to show you. But I would need more room than this. Outside would be better."

The guard chief snorted. "You think we'd just let you go outside? You'd probably try to run away."

Really, how _did_ Mizael fit all of those teeth inside of his mouth? They were more like the teeth of a predator than anything else. His unique eating habits also made Leonius wonder what they had yet to learn. "I won't run away."

Something began to stir in the back of Leonius's mind. So many teeth, hints of magic about himself, acquainted with the ruler of the northern oceans, and claiming he needed space to prove what he said?

 _I think I am beginning to understand._ But he would need to see it to be certain, and for the benefit of everyone else as well. They would believe him if he said what he thought, but they would not believe Mizael, and that would be more important. He rose to his feet.

"I will trust you once more, Mizael, not to _leave_ until given permission." He chose his words with care, staring down at the prisoner. Mizael looked back at him, the light catching in his eyes in a way that it would with no human.

"Very well." Mizael nodded just once, then turned without hesitation to the nearest exit, his guards scampering after him.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Leo," Alit muttered as they followed, Leonius's own guards in formation around them. Leo said nothing at all. He hoped for the same.

Soon enough they all stood in one of the lawns outside. There was space enough here for almost anything to fit. At Leonius's gesture, the guards stepped back, and Mizael stood there, free of all bonds and spells.

"Tell me, Emperor, what is you expect to see," he said, leveling his gaze on the other. "You suspect something of me."

"There are few creatures that would say that something they've never seen before is theirs, and fewer still who could claim knowing the King of the Northern Oceans and his sister. I could confirm that in almost no time. It's not something that a common thief would lie about, or even think to lie about," Leonius said, meeting those eyes. "But you are no common thief. Nor are you a thief at all."

"No, I am not." Mizael shook his head and stood even taller and prouder. "Thieves take what isn't theirs and I would never touch what isn't mine." Magical energies began to swirl around him and the sorcerers cried out, their words muffled as winds blew harsher and harsher.

Alit rested one hand on Leonius's shoulder, his other hand a fist, ready to fight. Leonius only watched, his eyes blurring for a moment as Mizael cast aside what he had been and became what he was.

"A dragon..." Alit murmured the word, then slammed his fist onto his lover's shoulder. "I knew I saw one last night!" He glared over at Mizael, trying and failing to fight off a grin. "You said you hadn't seen one!"

The golden dragon bent his head, staring thoughtfully back at them. When he spoke, his voice hadn't changed much, save to become somewhat deeper and richer. "I didn't lie. Have you seen _yourself_ today? Or at all, aside from a river's reflection or that of a mirror?"

Alit blinked a few times, then let out a small, rueful laugh. "I didn't think about that."

"Dragon or not, you still attempted to steal royal property!" The chief sorcerer declared, inching forward. He didn't get into Mizael's immediate bite or snatch range, as much as anyone could judge such a thing, Leonius noticed with amusement.

But Mizael again shook his head. "Dragons do not steal. I told you: it is mine. A dragon always knows when something is meant to be part of the hoard."

Leonius didn't know enough about dragons to say yes or no to this. But he knew that he had to make a decision. "Return to your human form. I will consider this and bring my judgment tomorrow." Because he _needed_ to think this one through.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal  
 **Title:** Proper Behavior  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Alit,  & Leonius  
 **Word Count:** chapter 5: 1,617||story: 7,988  
 **Genre:** Friendship|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing, section I10, multichap with exactly 8 chapters; One Character Boot Camp, #23, stereotyped  
 **Notes:** This takes place in the same world as **Ring The Dinner Bell** , **Face of Death** , and **Diamond of the North** , and occurs after Mizael left Vector's kingdom.  
 **Summary:** Mizael's evening rest is interrupted by two strangers who think they've seen a dragon. Really. A dragon. How silly.

* * *

So far as Mizael was concerned, the real problem with the chamber he was being kept in now wasn't that it didn't really have that many amenities, but that it wasn't big enough for him to assume his real form and be comfortable in it. Leonius had told him to resume his human form; he'd never said anything about keeping it. Mizael wanted to make certain they all remembered what he really was and that he took human form for _his_ convenience, not theirs.

But what amenities the room had, he took full advantage of, lounging on the bed and enjoying the light meal that had been provided. At least being a 'prisoner' – one who stayed because he chose to not because he had to – didn't mean they'd forgotten what he'd requested the night before. Meat, as close to rare as possible without actually being still alive.

Really, he didn't know why they hadn't guessed what he was from that alone. He didn't know too many humans who enjoyed their meals the way that he did.

His thoughts strayed back toward the vase, _his_ vase. He would never stop wanting it, not so long as it existed, because it was _his_ and nothing at all they could do would change that. He hoped they understood that. Keeping it from him would be a very bad idea. Trying to keep him near it without letting him have it would be even worse.

 _Perhaps I should send a message to Merag and Nasch?_ No, he would handle this himself. The siblings did not need to be involved more than they were by having given the item to Leonius in the first place.

He trailed his nails alongside the blanket underneath him, putting his thoughts in quiet order. He'd met many interesting beings during the course of his life and he knew that he'd meet many more before it ended. Only a few truly resonated with him. Vector. Alit. Nasch. Merag. That strange V.

He wished to meet V again, to see if he'd made any progress on breaking his curse. Perhaps he had; the few times he'd stopped in the area where they'd crossed paths, no one had babbled tales of a creature so lovely that his features brought death.

Perhaps one day soon he would return to Vector's kingdom and see what had been going on there. It had been some time since he'd left, and unlike with V, there had been plenty of rumors about what was going on there. Rumors that he did not like the sound of and wanted to check on the more he considered them.

 _He made a deal with a demon for my sake._ For that reason alone he wanted to find out more about what was going on.

The only people who came near him at all that day were those who brought him food. No one said a word about what judgment the Emperor might pass on him, and the two servants continued to stare at him worriedly for the few moments they were in the room, as if they expected him to pounce on them for his meal instead of what was being served.

Neither one of them looked as if they were up to his standards for dining on even if he'd wanted to eat humans in the first place. They had nothing to fear. But his brief times with humans taught him enough to know that telling them this would not be a very good idea at all.

He wanted Leonius to hurry up and make his decision so he could leave, preferably with his vase tucked away safely until he could get it back to his lair. He had a lot of traveling to do and the sooner he could get back to it, the better.

Somewhere during the day he fell asleep and did not open his eyes again until the following morning. The only reason he woke then was because someone knocked on the door to his room.

"Come in, if you're bringing breakfast," Mizael yawned, flexing his fingers as if they were his talons. He wanted a chance to get back in the air, whether or not the 'case' was settled today. He needed to fly like he needed to breathe. He was a dragon, after all.

The door swung open to reveal a small cadre of guards. Mizael gave them all a very stern look.

"Where's my breakfast?" They could at least give him one more meal before throwing him out on his snout. Or whatever they thought they had planned.

"You're being summoned to the throne room for your sentencing," the chief of the guards said, staring at him firmly. Mizael returned the look with one of his favorite smiles, the one Vector had told him made him look as if he had every single one of his dragon's teeth in his human's mouth.

"So, no breakfast."

The guards inched back. Mizael rose to his feet and brushed himself off. One of the amenities this room failed to provide was a comb or a brush. That did not please him at all. Unable to groom himself properly _and_ a lack of breakfast? He'd thought better of Leonius.

But perhaps he could leave the city today and find his own breakfast. That would be a clear improvement, since strips of warm meat weren't nearly as delicious as actual raw meat.

He strolled along with the guards, paying them little mind, until they arrived at where Leonius and Alit waited. Neither one of them looked especially happy. Mizael did not like the feel of this.

"Mizael, dragon," Leonius said, opening the proceedings as Mizael stood before them. "You are accused of attempted theft of an object belonging to the crown."

"Which I did not do," Mizael corrected with a hint of asperity to his tone. "I told you before. That vase is _mine_ , meant to be part of my hoard. One cannot steal what belongs to someone else."

More than one guard and attendant grumbled, along with some of the sorcerers who lined the room. Mizael gave them very unamused looks. If they didn't believe what he was after seeing him change, then he could find other ways to persuade them.

"By our laws, which are the laws in force here, you have attempted theft," Leonius continued. He sounded more than a little saddened by this as well. Mizael frowned, listening as he kept on. "As you have admitted to this, you are found guilty. There are a variety of punishments for such an act, but I feel there is only one that is suitable."

Mizael's teeth ground together. A dragon doing that was far more impressive than a human, even when that dragon was in human form. But the Emperor continued.

"Banishment. You may not enter my kingdom under any circumstances, starting at dawn tomorrow. By dawn, you must have left the kingdom. You may spend your time before then as you please, as you have caused no true harm in the kingdom."

Mizael's fingers clenched and unclenched. When he spoke, he held back every emotion that he could manage. "Keeping something from a dragon is not a wise idea. But you and yours forget: I _am a dragon_. I can wait a hundred years and take what is mine when you and yours are naught but dust." His lip curled into a faint smile. "But perhaps I will treasure it all the more for having struggled harder to obtain it."

He began to turn away, but stopped when Alit called his name. "Mizael, I kind of feel like this is my fault. I went out to find what I saw, and that's why you're here."

Mizael turned a thoughtful look upon the gladiator. "If there is one thing I would like to see before I leave here, it is you fighting." Even from the small amount of time they'd spent together, he could tell that Alit enjoyed fighting. Sparring against him personally would be a bad idea, but to see Alit against someone else? A sight that would be worthy of his last in this city.

Or at least his last until he chose for it to be otherwise.

Alit glanced at Leonius, who returned a quick grin. "I think we can grant that," Alit said, eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Should we give him the _good_ show?"

"I think that might not be such a bad idea," Leonius agreed. "This afternoon, perhaps? I have other matters that need tending to until then."

Alit bounced down from where he'd stood beside Leonius throne to in front of Mizael. "Until then, I'll show you around the town. You didn't really get a chance to look at it yet, you know."

Indeed he hadn't; from arrival to trying to take what was his to being locked up for far too long, Mizael hadn't at all had the time to explore. He wasn't certain if he even wanted to, but it would keep him occupied for the moment.

"Shouldn't we send guards with them, Majesty?" One of the soldiers asked. "Just for safety?"

Alit glowered over at the soldier. "Mizael is a _dragon_. How many guards do you think it would take if he really wanted to hurt someone around here?"

Mizael sniffed at that. "I've said this before. I don't eat humans. Even if I wanted to, you're all wearing armor." He eyed the guards distastefully. "That is _very_ difficult to get rid of and it doesn't taste good at all."

For some reason he couldn't figure out at all, none of the guards looked especially comfortable with that. Humans. Who could understand them?

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal  
 **Title:** Proper Behavior  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Alit,  & Leonius  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 1,705||story: 9,693  
 **Genre:** Friendship|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing, section I10, multichap with exactly 8 chapters; One Character Boot Camp, #23, stereotyped  
 **Notes:** This takes place in the same world as **Ring The Dinner Bell** , **Face of Death** , and **Diamond of the North** , and occurs after Mizael left Vector's kingdom.  
 **Summary:** Mizael's evening rest is interrupted by two strangers who think they've seen a dragon. Really. A dragon. How silly.

* * *

He didn't get one of the favored seats to view the combat from. No, by their laws he was a convicted criminal and this was simply the King being unutterably kind to him before his exile commenced.

Exile. As if that meant anything to a dragon who flew where the wind called and treasure sang a song only he could hear. He might avoid this place for a generation or two out of courtesy, but when he chose to return, he would do so, and there would be nothing to stop him.

But he had said as much to them already and if they did not understand, then it wasn't his problem. Instead, he made himself as comfortable as he could and prepared for the show.

"This is going to be magnificent!" He could hear other spectators all around talking to one another about what they expected to see. Many of them had seen Alit fight before, as well as who his opponent was.

No one had yet told Mizael that little fact: who Alit would be fighting. A clear favorite but no one uttered a name. This other fighter did get spoken of in terms of awe, however. Mizael suspected from that alone that this would be a fight worth viewing.

He did not fight in his human form often; he seldom needed to. Not when a dragon's power dwarfed that of a human. But after all of his recent experiences, he began to wonder if doing so might not be such a bad idea. His hoard held armor and weaponry of the finest quality, so he could outfit himself easily enough.

Finding someone who could teach him would be the difficult part. But he knew enough people to know he could do this. It would take time and that was something a dragon had in abundance.

Trumpets blared. Mizael had been seated so he couldn't get a good view of where King Leonius would be watching the spectable, but he presumed that His Majesty would not miss his lover once more dominating upon the sands.

He did have a good view of the arena itself, as did the two guards now officially assigned to watch over him while Alit did battle. From the looks they kept sending his way, they'd heard what the gladiator said about no need for a guard. They looked as if they wouldn't have been surprised in the slightest if he'd changed form and taken off at once.

A dragon did have manners. To whatever degree he chose to use them.

Cheers arose now, along with more fanfares, and now he saw Alit striding across the sands, as well as another figure from another direction, harder to see even for him, with the angle of the sun. Alit waved at the crowd, his cape billowing in the breeze, his smile bright and energetic. The crowd cried his name, bright and cheerful.

Many of the spectators would've sworn that Alit looked right at them. Mizael met Alit's gaze head-on and nodded to him. They might never see each other again after this but today, Mizael recognized a friend.

Between one breath and the next, the fight began. Alit's opponent swung his blade with enough strength to split rock in two, not that it did any good. Alit dodged, cape swirling in the breeze, putting space in between the two of them. The other fighter circled, sword pointed toward the fist-fighter, whose grin reflected the sun as well as any mirror might.

Back and forth the two of them went, neither of them making much headway against the other, but showing the most intense skill and pride that they possibly could. Sweat gleamed off Alit's skin, along with a tiny trickle of blood from one manuver where he'd misjudged his dodge just a fraction and ended up losing first blood.

Mizael thought the two of them were talking about something; he could see their lips moving, but the roar of the crowd kept him from hearing what it was. To be fair, he knew he wasn't trying all that hard. He just enjoyed seeing two fighters having it out with one another, clearly loving what they were doing so very much.

Alit dodged forward, knocking the sword out of the way with one hand, and slamming the other at his opponent's stomach as quick as lightning, before he backflipped out of the way, the other stumbling back, finding it difficult to breathe.

Mizael tensed; was this going to be the end of the fight? The armored warrior shook his head, taking a step back to reorient himself, then started after Alit again. Mizael knew for certain he was saying something, and he found himself wondering just what it was. Did they know each other? Respected rivals? Even friends when not fighting one another?

Perhaps, perhaps not. But clearly the spectators knew who this was, and the cheers were as loud for one as they were for the other. Mizael looked forward to seeing for himself when the battle ended.

When it _did_ end, it was so quick that Mizael almost missed it. The swordsman charged, ducking Alit's well-placed fist by the barest of breadths, only to find himself moving right into position for the other one to slam into him: even as his own sword rested on Alit's chin.

Absolute stillness reigned over the arena for a span measured in heartbeats. Then an explosion of cheers rang out, and Mizael did not keep his voice from it. He'd seen many skilled warriors over his years, but few who could compare to what he'd seen this time.

The two warriors gazed at one another, pride and respect in every line of their mutually exhausted bodies. Then slowly, the warrior slid his helmet off of his head, and Mizael saw who it was. His lips curved up quietly.

 _I see._ This city had little to worry itself about, with their King such a skilled warrior. He knew very well that there was a large difference between fighting in an arena and fighting on a battlefield, but they knew what they were doing.

By the time Mizael could speak to both of them, they'd both had time to wash and change. The guards remained at his back, but he ignored them in favor of speaking to Alit and Leonius.

"You're both very good at what you do," he said, arms crossed over his chest. He'd never really liked having arms that didn't have scales on them. He couldn't figure out what to do with them. This would do for now. "Thank you for allowing me to see your skills." The manners of a dragon were always perfect. If he so chose to use them.

Alit shrugged and grinned. "Hey, we enjoyed ourselves. We always do." He nudged Leonius with his elbow. "Watch where you're swinging that thing next time. You almost actually hurt me."

Leonius trailed one finger down the bandaged cut, the side of his mouth quirking up. "I think this counts as 'hurt', if only a little."

"You're joking, aren't you?" Alit sniffed, tossing his head back. "I've had worse cuts having breakfast."

Leonius started to say something else, before his eyes slid over to Mizael, and he cleared his throat instead. "Your exile begins at dawn," he reminded the dragon. "Perhaps we will be able to cross paths somewhere else."

Mizael raised his head, meeting the king's gaze without fear. "Perhaps. As I told you once, a dragon will live longer than a human, and what is once a dragon's will always be a dragon's. I can be patient."

Leonius studied him for a long silent time before he nodded. "As you wish, then."

Alit let out a long sigh. "I kinda wish you could stick around. I'd like to see what it's like to spar with a dragon."

"Dragons do not spar like that," Mizael told him, a small smile fluttering on the edges of his lips, one that felt more human than dragon. "We are not fighters like humans."

He wouldn't tell them of his desire to learn human ways of fighting. Some things were best kept to oneself.

"Too bad." Alit stretched, rubbing one shoulder. "Well, it's almost sundown, which means it's almost time to eat." He threw a quick look at Mizael. "Still want the meat as raw as you can get it?"

Mizael bared his teeth. It wasn't a smile but it wasn't a threat, either. A reminder, perhaps, of what he was. He suspected Alit sometimes forgot.

"Would you care to see how a dragon eats? If you can spare the live meat, that is."

Alit tilted his head, then looked at his king. Leonius regarded Mizael one more time.

"I think that we can." He issued orders to a passing servant to that effect and Mizael could not help but truly smile. In his opinion, this was the greatest gift that could be given to him before his departure: a true dragon's meal.

* * *

Three healthy cattle, each one well-fed and originally slated to be slaughtered and roasted for the king's table, lowed and tossed their heads, led out to a broad field just outside the city gates. More people than a handful of guards, Alit, and Leonius gathered to watch. Rumor spread, as rumor did, that a most amazing sight would be seen. Thanks to the guards and the sorcerers, some even knew a dragon would be involved.

Mizael did not disappoint them. The moment that the cattleherders stepped out of the way, he resumed his true form, stretching his wings to their fullest, flexing his claws. More than one person screamed and fled at the sight, but he paid no mind to them. Instead, he leaped on the first of the bulls and began his dinner.

"I'm not sure if I have much of an appetite now," Alit muttered to Leo. Leo could not help but agree. Watching a dragon eat wasn't a pleasant sight.

But soon enough Mizael would be gone, and Alit had already made up his mind to miss the guy. So he enjoyed his company while he was there, and hope that one day they would meet again.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal  
 **Title:** Proper Behavior  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Alit,  & Leonius  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 1,767||story: 11,460  
 **Genre:** Friendship|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing, section I10, multichap with exactly 8 chapters; One Character Boot Camp, #23, stereotyped  
 **Notes:** This takes place in the same world as **Ring The Dinner Bell** , **Face of Death** , and **Diamond of the North** , and occurs after Mizael left Vector's kingdom.  
 **Summary:** Mizael's evening rest is interrupted by two strangers who think they've seen a dragon. Really. A dragon. How silly.

* * *

Alit examined the building, more to look as if he knew what he was doing than anything else. He was a gladiator, not a builder or a designer of buildings. But Leo wanted his opinion, so he would do his best to give it.

"I think it should just be torn down and something new put up there," Alit said finally. "I don't think it can just be fixed up."

The Emperor took a look at it himself. Alit knew very well that he wasn't any more of a building architect than Alit himself was, but he tried anyway. He felt it was his responsibility.

"You may be right," he said at last, taking a few quiet steps forward. The building itself had seen better days, but those had to have been the days of Leo's great-grandfather. The people of Spartan City were very good builders and what they made tended to last for quite a while.

But whoever had built this building hadn't done his best work. The walls sagged toward one another, grass poked up between the stones of the floor, and there were holes in the roof with space enough for a large bird to fly through. Places built around the same time didn't have that problem. But this one _had_ remained untenanted for at least thirty or forty years. That did not make matters any better.

"What do you think we should put here, then?"

The last owner of the ruin had died recently and left no heirs behind. By the laws of Spartan City, that meant the property now belonged to the crown, which meant that Leo, or someone he delegated, now had to decide what to do with it. The main reason he'd come out here personally instead of assigning someone to do it was one that Alit knew he wasn't going to admit to anyone else: he was bored. Their sparring sessions remained incredibly fun, but there were only so many times in the day that they could punch and strike at one another.

Well, that was what Leo said. Alit didn't entirely believe that. Still, getting out into the city was a good way to spend some time.

Thinking of Leo's question, Alit's eyes glimmered with hints of mischief. "Why not a bathhouse? There aren't any around here, are there?" If there was one thing Alit loved aside from fighting against Leo, it was a good hot bath. There could always be more public bathhouses, in his opinion.

Leo made a noncommittal noise and moved closer to the ruin, looking it up and down. A few pieces of stone, not quite rubble but on their way to being it, dropped down from the roof, dislodged by strong gusts of wind. Alit glanced upward and frowned.

"Storm's coming in," he said, recognizing the dark swirls of clouds. "We should get back inside." They'd taken advantage of a rare bright afternoon for the season, an afternoon that was no longer quite so bright. The sooner they got out of the reach of the weather, the better.

None of them had taken more than half a dozen steps before it was all but impossible to see the sky, let alone more than a half dozen paces in front of them. Alit flailed around, a shock of cold racing through him at a sudden realization.

 _Leo? Where's Leo?_ He couldn't see his lover anywhere. Winds blew, sending trash and leaves swirling through the streets. Some of the guards stumbled by, but none of them looked as if they had any more idea of where the Emperor was than Alit did.

"Leo! Leo!" Alit tried to yell, but the wind snatched his voice from his throat. Worse than that, it brought another sound to his ears: stone grinding against stone, some falling and crashing against the ground.

And then one more, a voice that should've eased his worry and didn't: "Alit! Alit!" Leo's voice, but not close enough for Alit to see him.

The wind blew even harder and brought with it now a cold blast of rain. Winter storms could and did cause massive amounts of damage, and frequently blew up just like this. Every other time, Alit and Leo and everyone else had been safely indoors somewhere, out of reach of any kind of danger.

Now Alit couldn't find Leo and only had a thin voice to follow. He stumbled a few times, trying to figure out where the other was, then froze at a loud crash, one that shook the ground underneath him as if it had been hit by a giant's fist.

"Leo! Leo!" Fear like none he'd experienced in the arena cemented itself inside of Alit. He tried to tell himself that it was nothing; whatever had happened, it hadn't hurt Leo. It couldn't hurt Leo. Alit wasn't going to _let it_ hurt Leo.

He pushed his way forward through the pouring rain, his feet slipping on the soaked cobblestones. Alit's hair plastered against the back of his neck and against his forehead, rain running down into his eyes. None of that helped him figure out where Leo was.

"Leo! Leo! _Leo_!"

* * *

Mizael soared above the clouds, wings spread wide, thoroughly enjoying himself. He'd recently acquired a very nice addition to his hoard and all he'd had to do to claim it was get rid of a ship full of pirates. Doing so had brought him into contact with V again, still under his curse sadly, but it had been an interesting encounter. He'd also met V's brother, going by the name of III – which was no more his true name than V's was his – and _that_ had been an interesting encounter all by itself. It seemed there was little the younger boy didn't know about treasure and artifacts and they'd had many a splendid discussion about some of the items that now rested in Mizael's hoard.

He poked his head down through the cloudcover to judge how far he'd traveled. _Is that Spartan City?_ He slid down a little farther, the winds buffeting him here and there, but he easily mastered them. There were few winds born that could knock a dragon out of the sky on their own. _It is. I didn't know I was this close._

It had been over a year since he'd been 'exiled' from there and he hadn't ended up giving the place that much thought since then. He would like to know Alit better, but aside from that, and from wanting that vase that was part of his hoard, it meant little too him.

The winds were already dying as he sailed onwards. One last gasp brought a familiar voice, thin and almost unhearable at this height, if he weren't a dragon.

"Leo! Leo!" Harsh and broken, tear-choked and from a throat too dry to speak but unable not to. Alit's voice.

Banishments and exiles meant something only to humans. Mizael tilted himself downward and in the space of heartbeats, hovered over the city. By now the rain and wind faded away, the clouds slowly beginning to disperse. There were people scattered throughout the city, some of them screaming in fear at the sight of a stooping dragon. Mizael ignored them, coursing back and forth until he located Alit.

"Alit!" He changed in a moment, landing next to the gladiator. "What happened?" He had heard the pain in Alit's voice. If it was something he could fix, he would.

Landing next to Alit perhaps wasn't the best idea, since he had to dodge a thrown piece of masonry moments later. Mizael took in what was going on quickly. They stood next to what must have once been a building, but now was little more than a pile of rocks and rubble. Guards surrounded it, trying to get more of the ruins moved out of the way.

When Mizael spoke, Alit whirled around, another piece in his hands, and stared. His eyes widened as he took a step forward. "Leo's underneath there. He's alive; we heard him, but he can't get out."

Mizael turned his attention toward the ruin, taking it all in. Then he nodded. "Get back. Get everyone back."

The closest guard stared at him, frowning. "The sorcerers are coming to clear this. We don't need your help, _dragon_." He rested a hand on his swordhilt. "Dragon who should be in exile."

"We can argue about that another day," Alit snapped, shoving the guard out of the way and stepping back himself, waving for the others to do the same. As soon as there was enough room, Mizael shifted back to his proper form and leaned in, getting a good whiff of the area so he could pin down where the Emperor was.

"Leo!" Alit cupped his hands around his mouth and called out carefully. "Leo, Mizael is here and he's going to get you out of there! Be careful!"

Whether he meant that for Mizael or Leo, the dragon didn't know. But now he knew just where the Emperor was. He couldn't see all of the details, but the way the scent hung told him where he was, and he could see how the collapsed building kept him pinned in there. He set one claw on the nearest slab of rock, heavy enough that two or three humans probably could've moved it only with difficulty, and yanked it off. More rubble fell down, but that only helped to clear the way. He pushed a second slab, a little smaller but thicker, off in another direction. Every move he made he did with the purpose of clearing a very specific area of the rubble.

And then he shoved another piece off, and a glancing sunbeam struck a dusty head of hair. Emperor Leonius coughed and hacked, lifting his head up and looking around. There were a dozen wounds visible on his head, neck, and shoulders, though none of them appeared life-threatening, not even the ones that oozed out blood.

Alit stood by him in seconds, carefully helping to get the rest of the ruins off of him. "Leo! Don't move; we should wait for the sorcerers to make sure you're not too hurt."

"I'm all right," the Emperor murmured, shifting up a little, even when Alit tried to get him to stay still.

"Thank the kind fates you are," Alit said, leaning in closer. He turned toward Mizael and started to open his mouth, when the guard who'd protested Mizael's involvement stepped forward.

"Dragon Mizael," he declared in the most pompous voice possible, "you are under arrest for violating your exile."

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal  
 **Title:** Proper Behavior  
 **Characters:** Mizael, Alit,  & Leonius  
 **Word Count:** chapter 8: 1,865||story: 13,325  
 **Genre:** Friendship|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing, section I10, multichap with exactly 8 chapters; One Character Boot Camp, #23, stereotyped  
 **Notes:** This takes place in the same world as **Ring The Dinner Bell** , **Diamond of the North** , & **Face of Death** , and occurs after Mizael left Vector's kingdom.  
 **Summary:** Mizael's evening rest is interrupted by two strangers who think they've seen a dragon. Really. A dragon. How silly.

* * *

Alit buried his face in the hand he could spare from checking over Leonius. Seriously? Seriously, _now_ of all times?

"Someone tell me who hired that guy. Honestly." Alit didn't move away from Leonius, who hadn't yet managed a word, but clearly was alive and going to stay that way. Bruised and battered, too busy taking in breaths to take in what was going on around him, and Alit was perfectly happy for him to be that way right now.

The guard tried to pull Mizael away. The dragon didn't so much as move a step, looking at Alit and Leonius.

"Is he all right?"

"He will be," Alit said, brushing some of Leo's hair away from his forehead. "He'll probably need to rest for a while, though." Which meant they needed to get back to the palace so he could rest in _comfort_. Away from falling buildings and guards who had the audacity to try to arrest someone who had just saved the Emperor's life.

The guard cleared his throat. "Did you hea -ack!"

Mizael's hand now rested on the guard's throat, tightening slowly, his eyes cool and full of fury. "Be silent. I've heard more than enough from you."

"I'd suggest you not kill him, but mostly because I think Leo's going to have a few words to say to him, and it would be a lot easier not to say them to a corpse," Alit said. He breathed easier when the sorcerers rushed into the area; they would be able to return Leo home in safety.

The guard's eyes darted worriedly from here to there but he said nothing more as Mizael pulled his hand away.

"If he touches me again, then I might forget I ate already and have a snack," Mizael said. "He doesn't look all that appetizing, but I'm willing to make some sacrifices for the sake of peace and quiet."

Alit snorted. "I don't blame you." He watched worriedly as the sorcerers tended to the Emperor's injuries. If any of them noticed Mizael standing there, they all had the good sense not to say anything about it. Even though Mizael _had_ technically broken his exile, it was for the Emperor to decide his fate for doing that, and no one else's.

"Would you come with us?" Alit asked, looking over at the dragon. "I'm sure Leo would like to thank you in person once he's feeling better. And we can provide all the cows that you'd like." He managed a small, weary smile. "As long as you don't want a hundred a day or something like that."

Mizael's smile gleamed a bit brighter than Alit's. Alit would never understand how he could show all of those teeth. It must be a dragon thing, he decided. "I would be honored to be your _guest_ again."

Alit said nothing at all about the way Mizael emphasized that word. Instead, he gestured for their _guest_ to come with him, and they followed the sorcerers and guards back to the palace.

If one guard watched the dragon's back more than was strictly necessary, at least now he had the sense to keep his mouth shut.

* * *

It took three days for Leo to recover enough to be able to move out of his bed. Alit stayed with him as much as he could, while the sorcerers worked magic both mystical and mundane in order to accelerate his healing. Alit could manage some of the royal affairs, but everyone wanted Leonius back on the throne where he belonged.

Mizael enjoyed himself the whole time. He ate at least two cows twice a day, which was probably more than he actually needed, but he couldn't help enjoying the look of shock and fear on the faces of those who dared to watch him. So far as he cared, they should respect a dragon's power as much as they did that of their king.

That one guard kept watching Mizael, even going so far as to set himself up to watch outside of his bedroom door. Mizael made a point of requesting a room large enough to accommodate his dragon form and sleeping in that. He knew the guard looked in at least once a night, probably to assure himself that Mizael wasn't off devouring small children or whatever it was that he presumed Mizael would be doing that he shouldn't. So he made certain that he was always sleeping soundly, or giving the appearance of such.

By the time Leonius summoned him to the throne room, the guard looked as if he'd barely had a wink of sleep since Mizael's arrival and kept staring at him as if he expected the dragon to change to his true form and start eating everyone in the throne room.

As if he would. Two of them were his friends, and Mizael didn't eat his friends. The rest of them had too much perfume and not enough meat on their bones to satisfy him. He also never had developed a taste for humans as a regular portion of his diet.

At the appointed hour, Mizael entered the throne room. Acknowledging the fact that the room wasn't big enough for all those of Leo's court _and_ his dragon form, he remained human-shaped. Every move smooth and graceful, he stepped forward until he stood before the Emperor.

"Dragon Mizael," Leonius greeted him at once. He was still bruised, but the injuries had faded to some extent, and he could take care of most of his duties now. "Seeing you in Spartan City is a very welcome surprise."

Mizael could see that particular guard twitching. This might well be amusing.

"I would say that I regret breaking my banishment, but in the first place, I do not, and in the second, if I hadn't, we wouldn't be speaking to one another right now," Mizael replied. He was not disappointed when the guard's hand twitched closer to his sword.

Leo bent his head. "This is very true. And for that second reason, I hereby rescind your exile. You may come and go from Spartan City as you please."

Alit's grin all but lit up the room by itself, no need for lamps or the sun required. "I hope you'll stay for a while!"

"No!" The guard stumbled forward, dark circles under his eyes and his hand clutching at his sword. "He's a _dragon_ , my king, one you exiled for daring to _steal from you_! Dragons cannot be trusted! They are not like men, who obey laws and do as they are told! He will take anything that he claims is his and slaughter those who try to stop him!"

Alit and Leo both turned toward the guard, nearly identical expressions of disbelief on their features.

"Are you mad? Have you lost all of your senses?" Leo asked, head tilted to one side. "Mizeal has done nothing wrong at all here. If it weren't for him, I'd not be sitting on my throne today. What leads you to such accusations?"

"You did exile him for theft! He was caught in the act! I was there, Majesty, I saw him!" The guard lifted one shaking hand. "He should be thrown out once again, or executed for breaking his exile, not _honored_!"

Mizael shook his head. "I think he needs to rest. He's clearly exhausted himself watching me since I returned, and he's not thinking at his best." Mizael somewhat doubted that this guard would ever trust him. There was something oddly familiar about him as well. He doubted that they'd ever _met_ , but there was still a faint hint of a familiar scent about him.

That bothered Mizael, in all truth. He didn't associate often with humans, and he usually could recognize the ones that he knew very well. Granted, most of the ones he knew very well were unusual in some way or the other, which was why he bothered to associate with them in the first place.

The scent prickled at the back of his nostrils and he leaned over absently take a better sniff. The guard stepped back, eyes round and wide.

"See, he wants to eat me! He knows that I am not deceived by his evil!"

Ah, yes. Now the scent clicked. "You're from Vector's kingdom, aren't you?" He eyed the guard thoughtfully. The more he thought on it, the more he began to think that he knew exactly how this guard's path had crossed with him before. "You worked for his father, to be precise. In his dungeons."

Mizael's hands curled into fists. There would never be a day when he forgot a single scent from those soldiers. Yes. This had been one of the ones who'd guarded him while Vector was in the dungeon himself. One of the ones who'd watched as Vector's father beat him and attempted to force him to obey his whims.

One of the ones who'd escaped the vengeance Vector and Mizael brought down on them all. He'd not given much thought to those, expecting Vector to weed them all out sooner or later.

Clearly he'd missed one.

Leo gave a polite kind of cough. "Be that as it may, this is more important, Mizael. As I said, you're free to come and go in my lands as you wish. But I also have something else for you: a personal reward for having saved my life."

He gestured briefly, and someone in servant's livery stepped forward. In her arms there was a very particular vase. Mizael's eyes widened, all thoughts of those horrible hours fading in the vision of what was _his_.

"I give this to you freely, Mizael, in reward for what you've done for me," Leo said. The servant brought it over and offered it to the dragon, who took it into his arms at once.

"I thank you," Mizael said, arms tightening around it. "But I would have done it regardless." After all, as he'd said once before, dragons lived longer than men did. He could've returned to take it a hundred years onward.

Alit and Leo both grinned at that. "And that's why you've got it now," Alit said. He bounced over toward Mizael. "So, now that you can stay as long as you like, want a proper tour of the palace? Never did get around to you having one of those."

Mizael let himself smile. "I think I would like that."

And so he did.

* * *

 _Dragons. Foul, unholy creatures. It was a dragon that led Prince Vector astray,_ the guard snarled to himself as he stalked down the road that led out of the city. The king hadn't dismissed him, but he chose not to stay in a place that allowed a dragon to be honored like a man was. At least the beast hadn't returned to Prince Vector's land for many years. The prince was probably still infatuated with him, though.

Suddenly he smiled. An idea so glistening perfect fell into his mind that he could not help himself.

 _I wonder what our dear Mad Prince would think of knowing that his dragon welcomes the embrace of other rulers?_

It was time to go home and find out.

 **The End**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the story. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


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